Picture Perfect
by SolcieNTalin
Summary: Kotarou really didn't get why Tatsuki wanted the picture. It can be Tatsuki/Kotarou if you want it to be that way. Some bad language.


**Disclaimer:** Nope, don't own.

**A/N:** A story about Tatsuki and Kotarou. Can be seen as shounen ai. Could be seen as them being just close friends/cousins.

**Picture Perfect:**

The picture had been taken inside where the light was fairly dim, making the picture hard to see. But still, Tatsuki kept it. For the life of him Kotarou couldn't figure out why his cousin would want to keep it. Sighing, the blonde laid back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He silently racked his brain for what was so important about that picture. The day the picture had been taken, it had been snowing outside.

The last time it had been snowing, Kotarou had gotten lost in the snow. Using that as a learning experience, he had decided to stay inside and drink hot chocolate with Tak-kun. He couldn't remember when the picture was taken but he recalled that when the snow melted, his mother got the pictures. When they had saw the nearly black photo, Kotarou's mother was going to throw it out. Tatsuki had stopped her and asked to keep the picture.

Even confused, she gave him the photo.

And that was where Kotarou was at a loss. What did the broody jackass see that he didn't?

Not being able to take the frustration building up, the young blonde shot up out of his bed and stormed off into the hallway.

"Ah. Kotarou…" Turning, the boy looked at his grandfather who smiled kindly at him.

"Would you happen to know where Tatsuki has gone?" This made Kotarou blink a few times in confusion. Tatsuki was gone?

…Did he…run away…?

Shaking his head of such thoughts, Kotarou got a very 'good' idea. At least, it was good in his mind.

He'd take the picture from Tatsuki's room!

"No, I don't know. Maybe he just went for a walk?" He finally answered and watched as his loving grandfather smiled, agreed, and walked away. When the elderly man was out of his sight, Kotarou immediately dashed to Tatsuki's room. Not bothering to close the door all the way, he started rummaging through the desk drawers and notebooks. Making sure to attempt to leave everything as he found it, Kotarou mowed on through the various papers and books.

Not finding anything, Kotarou moved towards the bed, where the headstand was. Leaning on the pillow, he heard a crumbling sound. Moving the pillow, he found the picture.

Silently congratulating himself, he sat on Tatsuki's bed and looked at the picture. The fact that it was under Tatsuki's _pillow_ escaped his notice.

At first, he still couldn't see anything. Damnit all to hell, Kotarou thought to himself as he was about to put the picture back. However, with the shift in light, Kotarou saw something. He moved closer to the window where the light was shining through. When he finally saw what was in the picture, he froze.

And he stared.

Tak-kun…

--

Making sure that his precious bike was propped up and well, Tatsuki made his way back into the house. In one hand was a grocery bag filled with drinks. The fact that they were Kotarou's favorite was not-withstanding.

(Though, to tell the truth, Kotarou had been complaining that they were out of said drink and he would have to wait until his payday until he could get more. And even then, he wasn't sure if he should because he was determined to pay Tatsuki back. So, Tatsuki went out and got the drinks, all the while telling himself that he liked the drink as well.)

After putting the drinks away in the fridge, where it was obvious that Kotarou would see them, the broody one went to the answering machine and pressed the play button.

"**Hey, Kotarou, babe!"** Yuuto's voice came out of the machine, filling the room with his (in Tatsuki's opinion) annoying voice. **"You should come with me too-."**

As innocently as Tatsuki could muster, he pressed the skip button for the next message.

"**Hello, Kotarou. This is Mio-." **Once again, he pressed the skip button. And, he swears it was an accident, he hits the delete button as well. As if an afterthought, he deletes Yuuto's message as well.

Staring at the machine, which informed him that there were no more new messages, he had to think about this for a little while.

Kotarou would be a little upset if he ever found out that his messages were deleted. And did he really want to deal with a screaming blonde?

Deciding that it'd be better for Kotarou to know that he had calls, and ignoring the fact that Kotarou would be _sad_ if he didn't get his calls, Tatsuki wrote a note by the phone saying that Mio and Yuuto had left messages.

Thinking about going back and tearing the note up, Tatsuki headed over to his room. As he entered the hallway, he couldn't help but notice that his door was opened. Going in, he froze when he saw Kotarou sitting on _his_ bed with a photo and a sad expression.

"What the hell-." But Tatsuki was cut off by Kotarou's shaky voice.

"Why would you…keep this picture….under your pillow?" The blonde held the picture towards Tatsuki but the silent one already knew what the picture was.

It was of them two as children laying together, with a young Tatsuki holding a young Kotarou.

Anger boiled over inside of Tatsuki until he could no longer hold it in.

"Why the _fuck_ are you in my room?" While he didn't scream, his voice carried enough rage that Kotarou winced.

"I was…"

"Get the hell out!"

"But- Tatsuki…"

"LEAVE!"

"NO!"

Perhaps it was the fact that Kotarou had yelled back. Or maybe it was that the blonde had moved towards him so that they were only a foot away. Whatever the reason, Tatsuki grew quiet.

"I just want to know why." Kotarou's voice was small and just above a whisper.

"If you have to ask, then you're really not ready to know." Was all the response that Tatsuki gave.

Silence grew between them and neither one could look each other in the eyes, both just stared at the floor. What did you say to that? Was there anything to say?

Well, perhaps there was one thing.

"Could I…have a copy?"

"…Yes."


End file.
